


Choice

by TheSilverMoonTavern



Series: TheSilverMoonTavern's Menu Selections [10]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Bonding, Confusion, Cute, Distress, F/M, HUGE SPOILERS, More Tags Will be Added With the Story, More characters might be added, Rating May Change, Romance, Sojiro Takes in the Reader, Spoilers, Swearing, Teleportation, Trust Issues, cursing, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-07-23 09:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20006383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverMoonTavern/pseuds/TheSilverMoonTavern
Summary: You had just finished your third play through of the JRPG, Persona 5. You admitted you had no life since you played through the game three times. You admitted you'd love to see the world for yourself. What kind of fan wouldn't? Well, you get that chance by a strange entity that calls itself a God. Half asleep, you take their deal. This is where your story begins in what is supposed to be a fictional representation of Japan.





	1. Dull Foresight

"Hmm... Well, that was a little lackluster..." You mumbled under your breath as you completed one of your favorite video games, Persona 5, for the third time. 

For the first two play throughs you had gotten the ultimate ending, easily taking down Yaldabaoth. The second time you played on hard, and once you got the swing of things it was rather easy. So for the third time you set the game to your desired difficulty and tried out the good ending instead of the ultimate ending. While it wasn't as satisfactory-which it wasn't supposed to be- the good ending still made sense. The Phantom Thieves continued their exciting adventures while gaining popularity. (Just watch out for Ryuji's loud mouth.) But in return for all the excitement and fun for the Phantom Thieves, humanity was still corrupted and hurt each other for one's personal gain. In the end, the good ending was just a selfish choice for the Phantom Thieves... Welp, that got dark quick. 

You set down your PS4 controller and went into the kitchen to make some dinner. You were starving! Exploring Palaces and Mementos was exhausting! You made yourself a quick meal while watching TV or YouTube. Or both, if you're edgy. 

You spent the rest of your day reading, writing, drawing, playing video games, or taking care of your pet, if you have one. All in all, your day was peaceful. And you were alright with that. 

You spent the final hour of your day watching the sun set with your favorite drink. What a lovely way to end the day, and give your eyes a break from staring at a screen for hours on end. When the sky had turned dark blue and stars speckled the sky, you went back inside. You took a quick shower and did your regular night routine before falling into bed with your pajamas. Tomorrow was Sunday, one more day before purgator-- school. I mean school. 

Your mother was away on a business trip for about a week while your father was visiting family out of state. They went grocery shopping before leaving to make sure you wouldn't starve and even left some extra cash if needed. But I mean, it's not like you're eating anything other than pizza rolls. But in the end, everything was peaceful. You will not lie, this solitude was nice. You could scream at your video games in frustration all day and no one could tell you to shut up!

You rolled around in your bed for a little bit to eventually fall asleep. It wasn't good sleep, though. No, it wasn't a nightmare; that's too cliche. Your current sleep was like sleeping to pass time, not to rest. So when you woke up a few hours later, you did not feel refreshed or even rested. If anything, somehow more awake, like you just drank an entire pot of coffee awake. So you got out of bed and put on some normal clothes. You weren't going anywhere, but you couldn't sleep, so might as well get ready for the day. You glanced at the living room to see it was three in the morning, sharp.

Even though you were dressed for the day, you got yourself some ice cream as a very late midnight snack. It was a bit too early to start worrying about breakfast. Once your finished with your frozen treat and your bowl is washed, you head back to your room and turn on your PS4. Time for your fourth play through! Perhaps you'll try to romance all the women this time. Not like anything bad could come out of it. 

You select the game on your menu to be met with all the thieves, and traitor, with "Let us Start" in the background. You swear, every time you look at this art you find something new. Like the annoying text box that was currently blocking off some of the thieves' faces. Did your PS4 already need a new update? It just had one last week! 

The text box read, "Care to start?" Start what, exactly? You pressed continue, as that was the only button you had available. The next box read, "Hello, (gamer tag)! You have been chosen to play the game! Not just this game, but THE game! Don't worry, there are only a few rules to the game. Care to play?" There were two options. Yes, or no. Still half asleep you pick yes. This must be what happens when you first join the Thieves Guild, or whatever. You just wanted to play some Persona 5. 

So when your screen flashed white, then immediately turned black with an audible pop; you were not happy. You got up from your bed to examine your TV and PS4 to see if this shitty update broke something or bricked your console. When you got to your TV, your screen flashed white again, but was much brighter than before. You were temporarily blinded from the rather extreme light, you fell backwards protecting your eyes with your hands. You felt something, like a vine or tendril, wrap around your torso before suddenly tightening and pulling you forward. You felt your bedroom floor fall beneath your shoes as you were suddenly falling, out of the grasp of the tendril. You opened your eyes to see yourself falling in a green vortex. Now how the Hell did this happen!? What is happening!? Where's your home!? Where are you going!? 

The vortex turns blue, first dark, but turns into a lighter shade as you continue to fall. You suddenly land on concrete, knocking you out cold. The last thing you saw was the vortex instantly vanish when you made contact with the concrete. 

When you came too, you slowly opened your eyes; only to be immediately blinded. You covered your eyes again as they ached from the sudden light. You groaned in distress. Someone heard you and walked over. You could hear the audible 'click, click' of heels as they walked over to you. You slowly moved your hands away from your eyes, slowly letting your eyes adjust to the white fluorescent lights above. Great, you're in the hospital. A surprisingly small hospital. You tried to get up, but the person by your bed side pushed you back down. 

"Don't move, I don't know if you're stable yet." A feminine voice you recognized said. 

You moved your head to look at the speaker. You gasped, choking on your own air. You didn't need a name tag to know who was in front of you. The goth doctor of Yongen-Jaya, Tae Takemi. 

While you choked on your own air, and Ms. Takemi left to get your poor soul some water, your mind raced. Were you IN the game!? Or did you just hit your head so hard that you were hallucinating? You were trying to play the game, but now you're in the game you wanted to play. Is this what the message box said when it asked if you wanted to play the game? Why? How? 

Tae came back with a cup of cold water. You downed the drink almost immediately. When your breathing has regulated you dug through your pockets. The message box said it would tell you the rules if you played, so there had to be something on you to give a hint what the Hell was going on. 

"Are you looking for this?" Tae said, holding out a neatly folded piece of paper. You took it with shaky hands. "The boy that brought you here said it fell out of your pocket. Don't worry, I didn't read it." 

"B-Boy?" You asked still in shock. You put the paper away in your pocket. You'd need to read that somewhere private. 

"His name is Akira. He lives in the cafe not far from here. If I were you, I'd go down and thank him." Tae said, sitting in her chair and crossing her legs, picking up a clipboard. "Other than that, you look to be fine. I don't know what you were doing on the side walk in the sun, but it looks like you only suffered a minor concussion and a few sunburns. Just stay inside and keep it easy for the next few days." The doctor said, scribbling things off her clipboard. "Stay as long as you need to, but you're free to go whenever you wish." With that, she got up and left the exam room, leaving you befuddled on the bed. 

You took out the piece of paper and read it to yourself. 

'My dearest (Y/n),' it began. 'You've made a decision that you might come to regret. You are in the world of the video game you know well as 'Persona 5'. I won't tell you why I gave you this choice, that is for you to figure out. However, there are a few rules you must follow. 

One: Keep in mind that as time passes in this world, it passes the exact same in your home world. 

Two: Control your desires. 

Three: Watch who you trust. 

Fourth, and finally: If you entertain me enough, things will end just fine with however you want them too. 

From time to time I will communicate with you. I am watching you, (Y/n) (L/n). Ta ta! 

Sincerely, God.' 

... You want to be knocked out again. What does this mean? Desires? Trust? Entertaining a 'God'? Choices? What does everything mean!? 

You lie back down until your thoughts calm down and your breathing is regulated. Tae occasionally comes to check on you. She doesn't ask any questions, though. As you lie there, staring up at the fluorescent lights, you wonder. Where are you going to live? How are you going to provide for yourself? Your parents will be home in about a week, will you be out of here by then? Will you even want to leave when, or if, the time comes? What will your parents think when they've noticed that you're gone without a trace? 

You sigh, sitting up again. You push the sappy thoughts into the back of your head. You were burning precious time, you needed to find a roof over your head before the night came. Your only lead was Cafe Leblanc. At least there you could get advice from Sojiro and thank Akira for his assistance. Acting like you've never known or met these people before was going to be a little difficult. 

You thank Tae as you leave the clinic onto the streets of Yongen-Jaya. Everything looked so different from this different perspective. But everything was still where it was in the game, not to mention that everything looked extremely real. If you weren't any the wiser, you thought it would have been real. But it's not. It's a game. Everyone is an NPC, they don't have hearts or feeling, they're AI. They act how they are programmed, no more. 

You sigh again and kick the ground beneath your feet, holding back tears and screams of distress. You swallow your feelings and walk to Leblanc. As you walk, you notice it is late in the day as the sun begins its descent. If what the 'God' said was true, then the day in your world is almost over. It was maybe around 3:30 in the morning when you fell, and now it was almost dusk. How could you have been out cold for that long? Oh well. Sadly, nothing could be done about that now. You turn onto a different street with the familiar cafe. You walk inside. 

In the game, the cafe could be described as homey. But in 'real life' it could be called a scared space. A space to ignore the world and just relax with its soothing atmosphere. The wonderful smell of coffee gentle greeted you as you entered the cafe, a tiny bell dinging above you. You recognize a pink shirted man reading a newspaper behind the counter. At the sound of the bell he looks up. 

"Hi, you must be new here." He says, and waves a hand at the counter. "Take a seat." You do, silently. 

You noticed Sojiro's gaze follow you the entire time. It doesn't feel completely welcoming, but not threatening either. Suspicious was a good word to describe it. As you sit, examining all the cafe's details that you've never noticed before, Sojiro continues to eye you. You continue to ignore him, along with the other male in the cafe who was currently washing dishes. You couldn't look at any of them. This was too crazy. Being shot to death would have been more peaceful than this situation. 

"Are you (Y/n) (L/n)?" Sojiro asks. This grabs _his_ attention. 

You look at Sojiro dumbfounded. "How did you know?" 

"Do you honestly not remember?" He asks, sighing. "You're a transfer student from (home country). You'll be staying here for two years to study abroad. I agreed to protect you during your time here." ... Holy. Shit. This had to be the 'God's' doing. 

You don't know if you should be terrified or ecstatic. It scratches off your worries of looking for a place to stay, but that meant you were going to a new school with people you hardly know. But even worse, ~~(or better,)~~ you'll be sleeping in the same attic room as _him_. 

"There's a couch upstairs for you at the moment. If you want something better, you're going to have to buy it yourself. Akira, quit hiding by the sink and at least say hello." Sojiro orders. 

The boy turns off the water and dries his hands while Sojiro heads outside, probably for a smoke. Akira walks over to you, his eyes staring down at you. You can't see them from the light reflecting off his glasses. If you didn't know who he really was, you probably would have been scared out of your mind. 

"H-Hi." You stutter, not really sure what to do with yourself. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you. Ta-- The doctor at the clinic told me you helped me out." 

Akira simply nods. You can tell he's listening, but also observing you intently. 

"So, your name is Akira?" You ask. Desperately trying to start a conversation without blurting information about him no one would know. 

"Yes, and you are (Y/n)." He answers. His voice is so much smoother in person than over an audio speaker. It was smoother than silk. "Boss didn't say anything about your arrival." 

"I'm sorry if it's all so sudden, things just sort of... Happened." You answered. He nodded again. It was going to take quite awhile to get him to start talking. 

"Here, come with me." He says coming out from behind the counter. 

You nod and silently follow him up the creaky steps to the attic. It wasn't nearly as dusty as you thought it would be. It was clear Akira took care of his personal space. His workbench was across his bed with no suspicious material to reveal his true self. A black and white cat slept on his bed. On the wall was a small couch that had a few boxes on it. Must be things the 'God' gave you to survive on. Like clothes an toiletries. 

"You must be tired after your trip, rest as much as you need." Akira says, not really looking at you. "I'll show you the school and the town tomorrow. To help you get better acquainted with everything." 

You nod with a small smile. "Thank you, Akira." He nods, and goes back down stairs. He was still working, after all. 

You head over to your couch and try to situate your things. You didn't have any drawers, so you kept the things in their boxes to not make a mess. All the clothes were ones you had in the real world. The 'God' did a damn good job of replicating everything down to a tee. When your tiny space was situated, you walked over to Akira's bed. It was pretty hard, but had some softness too it. You pet Morgana behind his ears, making him purr in his sleep. 

A new life filled with people you know, but they don't know you. You must keep their own secrets from themselves while trying to adapt to a brand new situation while also trying to find a way back home. You always thought visiting a fictional world would be the best thing ever. It probably would have been if you weren't sent here by a mad 'God' against your will. 

You walked over to the couch and lied down. There was nothing left for you today, and the sun was burning away into dusk. You fell asleep almost immediately, ignoring the tingling of your sunburns. You didn't realize how tired you were, especially from being knocked out earlier. You didn't hear Sojiro lock up the place for the night. You didn't hear Akira climb up the creaky steps. And you didn't hear the boy have an argument with his cat about their new guest. Morgana watched you almost all night. You just didn't feel right to him. It could have been because you were a foreigner, but Morgana was smarter than that. Tomorrow should reveal a few truths. At least, that's what one would hope. 


	2. Déjà Vu

Black. Everything. Everything is black. The only thing filling this empty void is you. You can swim through the black, walk through the black, even fly through the black. But you can't do much else. Just move in a straight line to something that isn't there. Slowly the black turns grey, then light grey, then pink, then red, then orange, then yellow, then white. It burns, in a weird soothing way. It's time to leave now. 

Your eyes slowly peel open, allowing the sun light streaming in through the window to burn your eyes. You sit up with a groan, rubbing your eyes. You don't feel rested in the slightest. Like you were sleeping to pass time, not to actually rest. You get out of bed, the blanket falling off your shoulders. Your feet land on smooth wood instead of the carpet of your bedroom. 

That's right, you're not home, this isn't home. You truly are in the world of Persona 5. Yesterday wasn't some weird fever dream, it's real, it's all real. Including the fact that every second that passes in this world, passes in your own. Joy. 

You remove your hands from your eyes, fully taking in your surroundings. Akira wasn't in bed, he wasn't even in the room. The smell of coffee drifting upstairs gave a good indication of where he was. His bed was neatly made with Morgana resting atop the sheets, staring at you. It was weird to see the two separated. You walked over to Morgana and gave him a nuzzle behind the ear. Surely any stranger meeting a house cat would do that. You knew who Morgana was, the fact that he was probably the most keen of all the Thieves, made him your biggest threat. You gave him another nuzzle, just to be safe, then grabbed some clothes from one of the boxes under your couch bed and walked downstairs to the restroom to change. 

Once changed, you leave the restroom and return yesterday's clothes to your couch then back downstairs to the coffee bar. Sojiro was making coffee for an elderly couple while Akira was back to doing dishes. His keen ears heard your footsteps, making him look up at you. The light still glared off his glasses, still blocking your view from his eyes. Was he tilting his head enough on purpose to get that glaring affect? 

He mutters a few words to Sojiro, then Sojiro nods. Akira hangs up his apron to reveal his outing clothes. He grabs his bag off a chair then walks upstairs, no doubt getting Morgana. When he returns, his back now a bit bigger, he grabs your wrist and leads you out of Leblanc. 

"Have you explored much of Yongen-Jaya?" He asks, now finally looking at you in the eye. Alright, progress! 

"No, just the cafe and the clinic." You answer, trying to peer through the glare of his glasses without looking retarded. 

He answers with a nod of his head and a 'hmm'. He takes you to the shop run by an old man, the department store, the batting cages, and all the other points of interest. Of course you knew Yongen-Jaya like the back of your hand from the game, but Akira couldn't know that. Especially with Morgana no doubt listening intently in the bag. 

Next, he takes you to the subway station nearby. Which is uncomfortably packed with people. To your surprise, they actually had faces! Akira grabbed your wrist again as he skillfully maneuvered his way through the crowd like a serpent. You two manage to grab a subway heading to Shibuya. Being at a bit of a late arrival, there is only on seat left. Akira, being the gentleman Thief he is, gives it to you. Which you graciously except. Though he doesn't look at you through the whole trip, you can't help but feet that he is looking at you with his peripheral vision through his glasses. 

The subway eventually stops at the Underground Mall in Shibuya. And all at once, everyone immediately stands up and tries to push one another out of the way to get out first. Akira grabs your wrist once again as he gets the both of you out of the over packed subway. It's even more packed here then back at the other station! Akira continues to guide you through the mall, allowing yourself to pretty much get dragged as you try to look at all the too familiar sights. 

You both walk into the light down a street away from the shopping street of Shibuya. No doubt on your way to Shujin. Now that you think about it, where were you in the game? Was Kamoshida still around? Have all the Thieves discovered their Personas? Only time will tell, you suppose. 

"This is the school you'll be heading to for the next two years." Akira says, nodding up at the rather large school building. "I'll help you out on the first few days, I get that it's tricky to fit in." He says, not changing his tone. If you already didn't know his past, you never would have guessed that his first days at Shujin were much more than just troublesome. 

The doors were locked, so you two couldn't go inside. So Akira said he'd show you around the school tomorrow if time allowed so. You two walked back down the road you came from, you slightly trailing behind Akira, Morgana staring at you through the opening in the bag. Was he already suspecting you? How? You've done nothing wrong. So far, at least. You ignore him, putting your eyes to anything else but the feline. 

Next, Akira takes you to the shopping street. He gives you a tiny description of each shop as you walk pass. He doesn't take you to the alleyway that leads to the gun shop. You want to look down the alleyway to see if you might see the door to the Velvet Room, but you don't dare to with Morgana staring so intently at you. 

"So, do you have a name for your cat?" You asked as Akira took you back down to the Underground Mall. 

"Yeah, Morgana." He says, then moves on. You swear, it's going to take forever to hold a normal conversation with this guy. 

You take the subway home in silence. You having to stand this time. You're both about to walk into Leblanc when his phone rings. He swipes the screen to read the message. He then looks at you, without the light glaring off his glasses. You can finally see his dark grey eyes bore into you, a hidden fire you know as Joker hidden beneath. 

"Something happened, I need to go for a little bit. Will you be fine on your own?" He asks, his expression giving nothing away. 

"Yeah, I'll be fine." You say, a little sad he didn't ask you to go with him. 

He nods, then leaves, Morgana staring at you the whole time. At least Akira doesn't seem too suspicious about your presence. It would have been awful if he left Morgana with you, to spy on you. 

You walk into the empty Leblanc, Sojiro watching you as you trudge up the stairs. It was only noon, so you didn't want to just sit in your shared room all day. But in all honesty, what more could you do? You didn't know anyone your age besides Akira, who was out with his friends. And you didn't have money to spend. So it's not like you could even go shopping. 

You sat on your couch bed with a sigh. Man you're bored, and hungry. Your stomach makes you very aware of that fact as it growls obnoxiously loud. You forgot to eat breakfast this morning. 

"Hey kid." Sojiro shouted up the stairs. "Come down here." 

You let out another sigh, and trudged down the stairs. What does he want? Did you already somehow manage to mess something up? Was he going to make you work like Akira? 

"Take a seat." He says nodding at one of the bar stools. 

So, you do. He hands you a glass of ice water while he grabs a plate with some rice, and walks over to a large curry pot. that's when you realize, you are about to eat Sojiro's famous curry, a chance nobody in the existence of your world has ever done or will ever get to do. He hands you a heaping plate of curry. It's steaming hot and smells absolutely irresistible. 

"While you're in my care I'll be taking care of you, that includes feeding you, of course. Plus, you didn't eat breakfast this morning, so I gave you a little bit more than usual. Don't worry about needing to pay or anything. You'll be working behind the counter, eventually." 

You nod and give your thanks, taking a healthy forkful of the steaming dish. You blow on it lightly before putting it into your mouth. Flavor explodes through your mouth being followed by a wave of spice. It is spicy, yes, but all of Sojiro's secret ingredients make this dish the best dish you have ever eaten in your existence. You finish your dish as if you were a prisoner, shoveling the delicious meal down your gullet. Sojiro can't help but chuckle at you as the bell above the cafe's door rings, signalling a customer. 

Sojiro looks over and greets Tae Takemi. She sits beside you and orders a coffee, black. Only when you hear her sit beside you, do you finally stop shoveling food into your mouth. You sit up properly, wipe yourself off with a napkin, then actually start eating with proper etiquette. It's not your fault this delicious food turned you into an animal. 

"How are you feeling?" Tae asks, after taking a sip of her coffee. 

"Much better now." You say, after politely swallowing your food and not talk with your mouth full. 

"Your sun burns are doing much better, as well. Have you had any headaches?" 

"Nope, none." You place your fork on your now empty plate and down the rest of your water. 

"That's always good to hear. Are you doing anything tomorrow?" She asks giving you a bit of a suspicious look. Sojiro scoffs. 

"Nothing else besides school, why?" 

"Come down to the clinic tomorrow, then you'll find out why." She places some yen on the table, finishes her coffee, then leaves. 

You look at Sojiro, but he just shrugs. You get up and wash your dishes. You then walk around Yongen-Jaya for a little bit. You talk to the old man at the shop for a little bit. You even walk to Sojiro's house, wondering if Futaba was inside and how she was doing. For the remainder of the day you just wander around, eventually returning to Leblanc when the sun began to set. 

You walked upstairs and rummaged through your boxes, looking for a pair of pajamas. Turns out the 'God' didn't give you any. Guess you're sleeping in the day's clothes again. Perhaps you'd check out the bathhouse tomorrow. You needed to bathe sometime, though you hated the idea of Japan's public baths. How disturbing and awkward. 

You lie down on your couch, covering yourself up with a blanket. You were surprised Akira hadn't come home yet. Surely he should be home sometime soon. Buy why should it matter to you? 

After what must have been an hour of tossing and turning you fall asleep. But you wake up halfway through the night freezing. You reach for your blanket, assuming it must have slid off you, but you feel nothing but air. You groan and sit up, begrudgingly opening your eyes. 

When you take in your surroundings, you are suddenly wide awake. This isn't Akira's attic room, oh no. It's the Velvet Room. You are not in the same cell where Akira would wake up. You're not even in the little ring. Instead, you're in the back, where the other Thieves would be towards the end of the ultimate ending. In front of you isn't Caroline or Justine, but instead Igor. But is this the real Igor, or Yaldabaoth? 

"Ah, you have finally awaken." He says, his deep voice echoing through out the cells. 

"Who are you? Why am I here?" You ask, getting onto your feet and backing to the wall. 

"Forgive me for not announcing it sooner. My name is Igor. I am the master of this here Velvet Room, but you already know that." He said. 

"How do you know anything?" 

"I know many things, (Y/n). Things you will one day learn, in time." 

"Are you the fool that dares to call them self a God?" You ask, anger beginning to well up in you from the cruel trick. 

"Again, you will learn all in time. But while you are hear, you are safe. While on the subject of fools, your destiny intertwines with the Fool, in more ways than one. But only you can control the threads of destiny between the two of you." 

"What does this all mean?" You ask, getting closer to the bars. 

"You will learn. But today is not the day. You will learn when you lead. You will learn when you are silent. You will learn when you are anguished. You will learn when you are avenged." A bell, or siren, rings through the cells. "Our time has come to a closing, goodnight (Y/n). Do not forget your humanity." 

**...**

Akira returns home many hours after Leblanc's closing. Good thing Sojiro was kind enough to give him a key. Morgana all but passes out as his body hits the inviting sheets of the bed. Akira quickly changes into his pajamas, not even taking into his consideration that his room mate might wake up and see him. He collapses into sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. The poor fool forgot to cover up his new wounds and scars. It'd be a shame for him if you were to wake up before him tomorrow. 


End file.
